


two hands longing for each other's warmth

by dekusbaby



Category: Naruto
Genre: Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, I JUST REALLY LOVE THEM, Mutual Pining, NaruHina - Freeform, NaruHina 2020, Romantic Fluff, Smut, i acutally kinda suck at writing lmao sorry, i love them lmao, like really fluffy at some points, no beta we die like men, they're just kinda slow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:33:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26130442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dekusbaby/pseuds/dekusbaby
Summary: "i don't want to be alone tonight." is what he whispered against her lips instead. and he pressed his lids together almost painfully. in fact it was painful— saying those words out loud seemingly gutted him and he realized how weak and pathetic and needy he probably sounded to hinata. but— no. no buts. who the fuck does he think he is, possibly asking hinata to stay with him for god knows how long? until he fell asleep, like a child? he sure was acting like one. naruto shook his head, "ah... no- sorry, i... im sorry—""naruto-kun..." hinata stopped him before he could take anything back. if he went about it the wrong way, his words could turn offensive. naruto thanked hinata for that one, mentally. but blinked in shock when she told him, "i don't want to be alone tonight, either."and the urge to kiss her was stronger than before. she wanted to stay with him.or: naruto feels warm whenever hinata is around.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Sai/Yamanaka Ino
Comments: 26
Kudos: 101





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> yooo thanks for reading. we, naruhina stans, need more content. i just love naruhina and i cant stop writing for them. ive had this idea for a few months but i didnt know how to execute it so i never did anything lmao. i still don't, so its eh. but anways, tell me what you think cause i love review-type comments. they're my lifeline. constructive criticism is always welcomed, of course. they're my lifeline as well. thank you ily guys <3

he'd been doing it for a while now. he didn't know exactly when he started or the first time he went, but it didn't matter. he often found that he couldn't sleep or else flashbacks filled his mind as guilt and shame travelled up his throat like acid if he didn't. naruto never did much while he stood at neji's grave, he sometimes sat and remembered the moment as it replayed in his mind over and over again. the way his weight slowly became heavier in naruto's hold, the way his chin dropped onto his shoulder. his eyes had been robbed of their shine and dulled with death as his lids drooped lifelessly. it had been the most terrifying thing in his life; his comrade dying in his arms for him, just like that. but it all became horrifying when naruto remembered they had to live on after the war. the fight was finished, the battle was won— but neji was still gone. all of the things he could've achieved had he been alive, died along with him. 

he was supposed to change the hyuuga, afterall. 

and then, naruto had thought of hinata. how she watched him die in naruto's arms, how she had to be the one to snap naruto back and calm him down because he was so useless in those five seconds, how she had to be strong when her brother had just died because naruto couldn't get it together. naruto watched hinata after that— in fact, he had been watching her for a while— since his fight with pain. he always seemed to cause her so much pain, it seemed. she always seemed to be doing something for him, helping him with something and all he ever did was just take and take and take from the female hyuuga, and still, she had been the kindest soul on the planet. the least he could do was keep an eye on her. look out for her. he didn't miss the way her eyes would fall recently, no doubt in thought of neji. how her lips would purse in distress and he felt guilty. 

he was the reason neji died. if neji was still alive, she wouldn't have that look on her face — that painful, stressful, horrible look on her face that he wanted to wipe away. he pretended he didn't notice and would go to cheer her up with a joke or would purposefully trip so she would be distracted or something. he couldn't be weak in front of hinata like he had been over and over again. his only time to really feel vulnerable was at the grave as he placed his fingers lightly on the stone and shut his eyes tightly. the flashbacks, memories, his lifeless touch and weakened voice rasping in his ear. naruto took a breath and clenched his jaw. there was no reason he had to die, he should be alive. he should be beside hinata's side so she could smile happily, so naruto could be at ease and so he could breathe. 

he felt like he was suffocating. he had felt the weight of so many deaths on his shoulders that he caused, no doubt. whether it be for his foolish self or for the sake of a better world— so many people had died for him, many entrusting their wishes and hopes and dreams to him. to naruto uzumaki. 

he could only take so much, and clearly, neji had been his breaking point. naruto decided he would change the hyuuga himself— in honour of neji. he would watch hinata, make sure she was happy— for neji and for himself. he would remain strong and would pull as far away from being a failure. neji didn't die so he could fail. he would take the strength neji died with and allow that to live on. 

"na...naruto-kun...?" the blond shinobi was obviously startled by the gentle, feather-like voice. he jumped and turned to face hinata hyuuga. her expression was heart clenching and made naruto want to punch himself. her eyebrows were pulled together, eyes glossy, and lips tight. she had most likely been crying on her way there. "what are you doing here?"

naruto sighed, pulling his hand away from the grave and slowly standing. he shoved his hands back into his pockets, frowning as he slumped forward, "same as you." he said quietly. hinata stayed silent at that answer, but walked over to where he stood, standing by his side. her eyes were focused and hard, the look almost made naruto flinch. he didn't know if he should say anything. he wasn't good at comforting people, and he wasn't sure if hinata needed— or even wanted it at the moment. "are you... okay?"

dumbass. wrong thing to say. 

hinata's shoulders visibly tensed and her clasped hands which she held in front of her tightened. "are you?" funny response. naruto didn't need to turn his head to see she was looking at him, he could feel her stern lavender gaze on him and he felt like he was being scolded for some reason. "neji nii-san would... probably be offended if he knew you were blaming yourself, you know."

naruto blinked in surprise, at least five million questions and wonders filling his now curious mind. he never knew how she knew these things about him. it was almost weird, naruto could say. he felt like she knew him more than he knew himself with the random small things she would say sometimes and naruto felt like he had only scratched the surface of hinata as a person, barely. that didn't stop him from somehow feeling closer to her than most. like a gravitational pull and once he was near her, everything seemed to click in place. everything just seemed to make sense. he didn't know why that was. "hinata..."

"it's an insult to him, so don't." naruto watched as her face immediately softened as the words left her lips. the lines of her frown deepened as she narrowed her eyes at his grave, "please. it was his choice. please remember that... he never felt more free than he felt in that moment, choosing who he died for. we should be happy. he was free."

naruto blinked and looked at neji's grave. he was free, hinata said. his freedom costed him his life. was he really happy as he struggled to speak his last words? struggled to take his last breaths and take a final look at hinata? was he happy? laying there, knowing he would die in seconds. 

he was happy? did he really feel free?

"hinata—"

"please trust me, naruto-kun..." hinata lifted her clasped hands and pressed them to her chest, the gloss of her watery lavender eyes shining in the moonlight left naruto feeling bittersweet. even as she was crying, she was beautiful. "he was free."

naruto took a minute to breathe. "yes." he said quietly. hinata knew him better than almost anyone. he, no doubt, expressed many of his thoughts to hinata, and even if he didn't— she just knew anyways, because she was hinata. she just knew how and what people were feeling and thinking. "hinata. i'll walk you home."

when he turned toward the girl, she was already staring at him, eyes blown wide and cheeks darker than roses. she looked down and folded her arms, "you don't have to, naruto-kun."

"i want to," he told her, turning around and stepping ahead. "i think we could both use some company tonight, ya know?" he turned to face her and she wore a shy expression before scurrying by his side, the two falling into step as they walked in the dark night. the weather was dropping as the days went by, falling into early november. it had been a rocky month for everyone, considering the war only came to a resolution last month. it had to be the worst birthday naruto ever had; he had only wanted a large bowl of ramen after fighting, and sasuke gifted him with another fight and the loss of his arm. what a fantastic present. 

he shook away those thoughts quickly, however. he was supposed to be comforting hinata, not pitying himself. he could save that for later. 

"are you okay, naruto-kun?" hinata looked up at the spiky-haired blond and he blinked. 

"oh— yeah... how often do you visit him?" he asked, not really comfortable with the tension between them that neji’s death left. not angry. he felt that he could never be mad at hinata and possibly vice versa, but it was more depressing and regretful tension. something that could only go away with time.

"i try to every night... so he doesn't get lonely," she said. "i'm sorry, it's silly, i know..."

naruto quickly shook his head, "no, not at all. it's... i do the same with the old pervy sage. he was always there for me and i wanna do the same, ya know? so i get what you mean."

hinata nodded, "neji was always the same for me, you're right. he was... he was someone i could always talk to. if i had a problem, i could turn to him and he would have the answer. i don't know who to really talk to anymore. it's so cold now."

naruto nodded hesitantly. he was never big on telling anyone how he felt, unless it was in a fit of emotion and or rage— but that was different. if he had a problem, he would eventually figure it out on his own. he felt that he was independent enough, but he supposed it was also the sense of security hinata might've lost. naruto felt like everything would be okay and work out if pervy sage was around. but he also had others, like iruka-sensei, granny tsunade and kakashi-sensei. if he lost iruka— the first person to ever believe in him...

"i get it..." he said slowly. "yeah, i understand... but his strength and will lives on, ya know? you just gotta ask yourself what neji would do or say in a tough situation. or... find someone else to talk to. it's not always the same, i know that, but a lot of people really care about you and all of your friends would help you with anything you need. especially... especially me. "

hinata smiled at him, tucking a lock of hair behind her flushed ear. "thank you, naruto-kun... but you, too. i know you're not the kind of person to talk about your problems. you always want to be cool and strong..." she stopped walking when the pair arrived at the gates to her home. the streetlights lighting up both of their faces, "but... that shouldn't stop you from being vulnerable. im always here..." her face flushed and she looked down again. 

naruto nodded, "yeah, of course…thanks." he found it cute the way she was so shy and nervous. he wouldn't actually talk to her... not that he didn't trust her. it just felt weird to burden someone like hinata with his problems when he could very well solve them on his own. "have a good night, hinata," he said with a small smile, "try and get some rest, okay?"

the female hyuuga gave a curt nod, "you too, naruto-kun, really..." 

naruto offered a nod of his own before turning around in the direction of his home. he stopped in his tracks, however, when hinata called his name again. immediately turning around with crystal questioning eyes, hinata flushed as her face and shot her gaze toward the ground, "thank you..." she whispered. 

naruto blinked and took a couple steps toward the female. he placed his large hands on her small shoulders, "hinata..." her name fell from his lips again before he moved his face close to press his lips against hers. he heard hinata gasp and pulled away quickly. the realization of what he'd done hit him, but he could only stare at the girl, her eyes wide and confused, cheeks red and breath quick from shock. he was just as confused and shocked as her— maybe even more. he didn't know why he just kissed hinata? where did that even come from? he was sure his feelings toward the female hyuuga was nothing more than platonic, right? but what did romantic feelings feel like? was it this? the urge to kiss her again? 

maybe he was just feeling vulnerable… that had to be it. but she just looked so pretty in the light with the glow of the stars in the sky. her long midnight hair shaping her perfect, creamy face, roses seeped into her cheeks to bleed a cute blush. her lips were softer than they looked— so soft... actually — fuck, wasn't he supposed to ask or something? did he just kiss her without consent and— fuck. fuck. fuck. he messed up her entire night, didnt he?

naruto kept his expression at bay waiting for hinata to pull away or quickly bid farewell before running inside her home. maybe even push him away, slap him, get angry or something. whatever it was, he was fully expecting it. he deserved it, he totally fucked up. however, hinata did none of those things and with just a few seconds more, naruto was lifting a hand to gently caress her cheek and pull her toward him again. she was just so pretty. and her face was so soft and the way she looked at him... those eyes were just so genuine and caring. why did it make him feel so safe? so warm, despite the cold of the night? he couldn't figure it out. but his nose rubbed against hers, his forehead pressed against hers, and his lips slowly, gently moved against hers.

and he would've pulled away— probably would've slapped himself if she hadn't melted against him that time. he didn't know how he knew what he was doing, maybe it was all of the weird kissing scenes pervy sage forced him to read through. despite how boring they were at the time... he softly pulled at her bottom lip and moved a hand down to her waist, pulling her closer, pressing her against his body. she moulded into his mouth, fell into his touch. he carded his fingers through her long, dark hair, the strands soft and silky as they slipped through his fingers. he smoothed his thumb delicately over her burning cheek and he wanted to get closer. so much closer, melt against her. he felt so… good?

and then he suddenly pulled away. 

what the fuck was wrong with him? was he not just yelling at himself for kissing her without asking? he cleared his throat and turned away and stared at hinata's house to shake off the curious, confused look in her eyes. he played with his yellow blond spikes and let out a nervous laugh, beginning to walk backwards, "yeah, so anyways uh... have- have a good night, hinata! i'll see you tomorrow? or something? like we could just like talk or something. i mean we don't have to talk, ya know? if i see you, i see you but... okay, night!"

he turned around and groaned as he ran his fingers over his face dreadfully. that was the most painful thing he'd ever experienced. more painful than losing an arm, for sure. that must've been what having feelings for someone was, right? it was... wasn't it? right? unless... unless he was just being stupid as always... argh, he couldn't tell! no. he didn't like her. he couldn't like her. he didn't even know what liking someone meant or what it felt like or when it happened. he had a small crush on sakura a few years ago, but that died kind of, sort of quickly a while ago and it’s not like that silly thing could help him with the weird blossoming feeling in his chest. he almost felt floaty… like his stomach was empty… but it was good. 

whatever. he was feeling extremely vulnerable— had the need to touch someone, bathe in their warmth and hinata was stunning that night. that was all, as bad as it had sounded. 

he sighed, not even bothering to turn on the lights or change his clothes as he tiredly stomped down the halls of his cold, empty house and fell into his bed, sinking into the still mattress as best as he could. everything felt so cold. and still. and quiet. and sure, he was used to it— of course, he had no choice but to get used to it. but that just meant he could bear the incredibly hollow feeling of being alone. the pain was indescribably awful, however. 

really, it hurt like a bitch and always left a sting. 

the next morning, naruto's sleep was rudely interrupted by loud knocks at his door. he blinked his eyes open in a panic but immediately frowned once he sensed the kind of chakra at his door; rock lee. with a groan, the blond shinobi pulled himself from the sheets, coursed his fingers roughly through his spikes and swung open the door. lee smiled brightly, brows bushy and hair as shiny as ever as he tossed his friend a wave. "good morning naruto!" he said. naruto blinked, not giving a response. lee didn't seem affected by his unimpressed behavior, however. "get dressed and meet me outside in ten! we have a surprise for you!"

naruto lifted one of his thin brows, "eh? what're you talking about? what's going on?" he asked, scratching the back of his head. 

"well... sakura and hinata will explain once you're ready! oh— and don't eat breakfast either. we all know it's only ramen, anyway."

"okay, hey! there's nothing wrong with ramen for— wait did you— did you say hinata? she's involved with the surprise?"

"get ready!" was all lee said before he shut naruto's own door in his face. sakura and hinata would explain what was going on... 

naruto ran over the details in his head as he pulled on some sweatpants and a sweatshirt. he really should go shopping for some new stuff. his height was rapidly increasing so sweatpants were the only thing he had that wasn't high watered. but it's not like hinata to... do something like that. sure she was nice and kind, but why did she just suddenly feel like surprising naruto? was it because of last night? oh god... oh fuck, what did he do? or maybe — maybe it was just a token of appreciation for saying she could always talk to him? wait— did that mean he would also have to surprise hinata with something? well, maybe it was sakura's idea and hinata just got dragged into it, as people usually do when dealing with the pink haired female. 

naruto had finished brushing his teeth and stared at himself in the mirror with a hard expression. perhaps he could use a haircut... nah. he wouldn't look great with short hair. he chuckled to himself before shaking his head and rushing back to his front door, opening it and heading down the stairs of the building. he drew his brows at the faces of basically all his friends; lee, sakura, sai ino, hinata, tenten, shikamaru, choji shino, and kiba. he slowed his steps and scratched his head, "uh... right, okay... what's going on?"

"naruto!" sakura squealed, lifting her arms excitedly and wrapping them around naruto's bandaged one. "what's today?"

naruto hummed and frowned, "november 10th?"

"aaaand what was last month on this day exactly?"

naruto looked down. so, so much. "my fight with sasuke." he said, tightening his jaw. when he looked up, he saw his friends' grim expressions; almost pitying— including sakura. he internally cringed. he absolutely hated that look. so, he shook his head and changed his answer, "ah sorry— the resolution of the war, technically!" even worse expressions. "no— the... uh..." the last day he got to see his dad. the day he lost an arm. where were they getting at? he put his fingers to his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut. what exactly was he missing— 

"it...was your birthday, naruto-kun..." that soft, gentle voice belonged to hinata. he opened his eyes and blue met lavender, both quickly turning their gazes away once their eyes met. 

naruto shook his head, "oh, yeah! it was my birthday." he rubbed his neck nervously, "what a day that was... but why is that important, anyway?"

sakura's expression fell once again and naruto wondered how many times he would cause that look on someone's face. "because, naruto," she squeezed his arm again, "we never got to celebrate it."

naruto turned to face his friends, who were all smiling. even shikamaru had a lazy smile on his lips. naruto made a noise somewhere in between a sigh and a noise of discomfort as he pulled away from sakura, "guys... i don't know if you've noticed, but i don't really celebrate my birthday. everyone sees it as a day of tragedy and a day to mourn those we've lost... it's not important, ya know?"

"hey, don't say that, naruto!" sakura immediately raised her voice, stepping forward, "your birthday is important and we can start celebrating it now. come on, you deserve it."

naruto shook his head, "no... thanks. really, guys."

sakura sighed and took a step back, turning to whisper something to hinata. whatever it was, her face flushed and she nervously played with the hem of her jacket. naruto watched curiously, his own cheeks going hot when hinata was the same distance as last night. he could easily pull her close for another kiss— okay, no. 

"naruto-kun..." he lifted a head at her voice. it was unbelievably soft and gentle, so comforting. "uhm... pl.. please let us do this for you. we just want to show you we care so please... please accept our efforts!" her voice involuntarily wavered and faded at the end as she leaned forward in a perfect bow.

naruto's voice was stuck in his throat as he raised his hands in confusion. "uh... h-hinata, you can lift your head... i'll celebrate my birthday with you guys, okay?"

"yes!" sakura clapped, pulling naruto ahead as hinata stood up straight. the rest of the group followed in loud cheers through the village as everyone in konoha was waking up. the kids had been running through the roads and the shops were opening up. "first stop: breakfast!"

naruto's eyes widened in delight, "ramen!?"

"no, stupid," sakura pushed his shoulder. "we're having an actual, healthy breakfast. well, better than ramen, at least. seriously, naruto do you know what that stuff is doing to your insides?"

"yeah, ramen's for later, naruto!" lee offered a bright smile. "besides, a new place just opened up and we've heard the breakfast is good!"

breakfast was just the beginning of a very interesting day. 

naruto sat across from hinata at the place and she kept most of her gaze down the entire time. her cheeks were flushed even as she ate her omelette and naruto couldn't get a word out of her. he definitely messed things up last night. why did he even kiss her, again? didn't he go over the reason? he was lonely, vulnerable, she was there and provided warmth. right. 

"naruto, you barely ate anything," ino pointed out as shikamaru unfortunately took care of the bill. naruto honestly didn't understand how the genius put up with the rest of them, but he supposed shikamaru was sort of the unofficial official "dad" of the group. "were you not hungry or something?"

naruto lifted a shoulder carelessly, "dunno, the food left a weird taste in my mouth. but... does that mean we get to have ramen now!?"

"no, silly!" tenten nudged his shoulder playfully as she frowned, "we're going shopping for some new clothes! you need them, right guys?"

"yeah man, don't you ever do something for yourself every once in a while?" kiba rolled his eyes. 

"troublesome," shikamaru stuffed his hands in his pockets and rolled his eyes, "it's up to us to take care of you."

"it's not!" naruto folded his arms over his chest. he did plan on going shopping, and it wasn’t like he asked them to do anything for him. why were they even worried about what he was wearing, anyway? he didn’t think it was any of their business. "i've been busy! i don't have time to go shopping, ya know?"

"false." shino said behind him. naruto jumped at the sudden voice of mystery, frowning at his next words. "why? because you're just really bad at taking care of yourself. that's it."

"well— i- no! i'm not going shopping! whatever, forget it! i can take care of myself, believe it!"

“too late naruto,” sai said with a smile that he probably hadn’t meant to be obnoxious, but came out that way. “you’re stuck with us for the day.” ino put a hand to her lips as she quietly laughed, agreeing with the pale shinobi. naruto folded his arms over his chest anyway. 

“i’ll just run until you guys give up, if that’s what it takes,” he frowned and poked out his lips. “i’m used to shopping by myself,” he remembered that one time he went shopping with jiraiya. definitely more fun than shopping by himself, but that’s just because he was pervy sage. he could make almost anything fun. 

"naruto-kun, shopping with everyone else would be more fun..." hinata said quietly. naruto's hand went to his neck and he found himself immediately wanting to agree with hinata— what was with that? she was just so persuasive with that voice of hers, naruto figured. did she have that a  
effect on everyone else? it couldn't have only been him, that would be weird. he took a look around and sighed. 

"yeah.. i was just joking anyways," he laughed it off, shoving his hands back into his pockets. that was the last time she spoke to him for the duration of the shopping trip. the rest was everyone else wanting to see him in various styles of clothing, none of which suited him as a person. they were either too flashy, weren’t his color, or just too small for his sudden growth.

"oh— naruto, look! look! try this one on!"

"no way, ino! orange is definitely naruto's color!"

"man, you'd look super cool in this one!"

"this shirt is cool too, let's get it!"

"choji, we're here for naruto. not you."

in the end, they walked out of the store with nothing but a new long, button up black shirt and orange joggers, silently picked out by hinata. when they walked out of the store, empty handed and heads hung low in shame, hinata was scurrying behind them and shoved the bag into naruto's arms without any context, then quickly rushed away from him before he could say anything else. the outfit was nice, he’d admit. maybe just a bit too big, but he would grow into it, as he always did. 

shopping actually took a few hours, though naruto didn't notice— which brought the group for lunch. unfortunately, at that point, both shino and sai were called by kakashi for a mission they were assigned. naruto found himself in the same position as that morning. seated across from hinata, her cheeks blazing fire and gaze cast down. 

had he really messed things up that bad? naruto decided that from that point on, no matter how he felt, he would never kiss a girl again. he was too inexperienced in the field and it’s not like he wanted a romantic relationship, anyway. he wanted to be hokage, and all of them were pretty single, beside his dad. he ate his food this time around to avoid the comments of him being weird and "not like himself" when he was fine— all he really wanted for his birthday was a big bowl of ramen and he would be satisfied, but that didn’t matter, of course, because his birthday celebration clearly wasn’t up to him. he wasn’t all that mad about it, he supposed hanging out with his friends for a day was the perfect gift in itself. the only thing that could be better about the day was hinata actually making an effort to talk to him. or at least not run away everytime he made an effort to do so. what if he wanted to apologize for his actions last night, which he did. she was just too unwilling to listen to his words. 

once shikamaru had finished paying for the bill, yet again, the next stop was apparently his house for a nice game of cards. naruto's eyes shot into the air as he waved his hands, "what!? you guys didn't tell me— my place is a mess!"

"as expected," shikamaru shrugged as the group continued their way to his house. "don't worry about it."

they stopped at another shop on the way there. and then they stopped for some ice cream- stopped at every place but the very shop naruto wanted to be- before they arrived at his home with limited hours to play cards. and they were barely through their second round before choji announced that he had to get home for dinner, and just like that, everyone was bidding their farewells and leaving his home. the sinking feeling in his chest was enough to let himself know that despite all the bickering and complaining and the fact they never ate ramen, it was a good day. 

"did you have fun, naruto?" sakura beamed and her eyes shone with hope as she tugged anxiously on his arm. naruto hummed before smiling small to himself. they obviously were just looking out for him, so he wouldn’t destroy them with the small complaints he had. 

"yeah, a lot," he said. "thanks for today. it really means a lot that you all put in so much effort..." 

sakura pulled naruto into a hug, smiling against his shoulder, “i wish sasuke was here to celebrate… that probably would’ve made everything a lot better…”

naruto shook his head, “the day was perfect as it was. i know you wish he was here more than i do, sakura-chan…” he grabbed her arm and squeezed it with a smile. “he’ll be back, soon. i’m sure once his head is cleared, he’ll want to see you, even if he won’t admit it to himself.”

sakura smiled widely, pulling naruto in for another hug, “thank you, naruto,” she whispered before pressing a small kiss to his cheek and turning around. he found it funny how he didn’t want to pull sakura back in for a kiss. she provided warmth, but it strangely wasn’t the same as hinata’s. they were extremely close friends, and naruto thought he was close friends with hinata, too. but the feeling he had whenever he thought of her was so different from everyone else… what exactly was it, then?

when naruto closed the door and trudged his way back to the kitchen— he didn't expect to see anybody there, assuming he was alone and everyone left. especially not hinata. he jumped back and let out a nervous laugh, "ah, sorry hinata..." he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "i didn't know you were still here."

hinata nervously tucked her hair behind her ears and stepped forward, "no, sorry... i- i should've... shouldn't have stayed without uhm..."

"no, no it's okay, seriously..." 

"oh, okay..."

"uhm... oh- was there something you needed?" 

"i just... well, i- i planned your birthday celebration with sakura-san, but... we never really got to the part i planned. and everyone seemed tired already, and i didn't want to bother them with staying up later than they already were or stopped them from going home, so i let them go, but... i was wondering... do you want to have some... ramen, naruto-kun...?"

naruto couldn't move from where he stood for a good few seconds. he moved forward one step, and opened his mouth to find his voice was caught in his throat yet again. he shook his head and then nodded, "hinata— yeah! yes! that's all i've been wanting all day! i have cup ramen and i got one of those new things called a microwave, too! so now it'll warm up the water and cook faster when you put it in and stuff, you want some too, right?" he moved to pull out two cups of ramen from his cabinet, filling them with water as hinata let out a laugh. naruto turned to face the hyuuga once the ramen was in the microwave, "what is it?"

hinata smiled genuinely and lifted her shoulders, "you're just so excited for ramen..." she said quietly. "it's very like you, naruto-kun..."

naruto laughed, "is that a... good thing?" 

hinata nodded silently. 

he smiles at her, and she smiles back. 

the pair was done with their food a while before hinata announced that she had to get home, after what felt like only five minutes ( though with a glance at the time, she’d been there for an hour and a half ) and there it was. that cold feeling in his chest, hollow, still. he felt like he was being torn away from his blanket or something. he walked her to the door and stood for a few seconds with a smile before turning to face the female hyuuga, "by the way... this was the best part of today, hinata..."

the hyuuga's eyes widened and she leaned forward, waving her hands worriedly calling, "n-naruto-kun...!" like it was an overstatement that she couldn’t exactly process and it made naruto laugh, watching a pink blush paint her cheeks in quick embarrassment. 

"hinata. i honestly mean it." naruto smiled reassuringly and held hinata's upper arm with a gentle squeeze. "all i wanted for my birthday was ramen. nothing else, ya know? and spending it with everyone was really nice and fun and all, but… i really, really liked spending it with you." hinata smiled and she almost looked like she wanted to cry. either that, or she was extremely relieved. either way her expression made naruto want to comfort her even more. he gently held her by her arms, "thank you."

and just like that, they were in silence. and he wanted to do it again. he wanted to kiss her. to be close to her, to feel her warmth, the heat of her face, the press of her body against his. ocean irises stared into those of lavender and naruto found himself drawing closer to hinata. he leaned forward, watching as her eyes drooped when their noses brushed against one another. felt her breath get caught in her throat when his lips grazed hers and realized her eyes shut at the same time his did when he pulled her closer by the back of her neck. the same hand slid into her hair while his other grasped her waist, pulling her against him. it was so warm. he was kissing her. again. why? why the fuck did he keep doing this? naruto pulled away from her soft lips to say exactly what was on his mind. or what he thought was on his mind, at least.

'i'm sorry for doing that.'

'you should get home, it's late.'

'let's... not do this.’

"i don't want to be alone tonight." is what he whispered against her lips instead. and he pressed his lids together almost painfully. in fact it was painful— saying those words out loud seemingly gutted him and he realized how weak and pathetic and needy he probably sounded to hinata. but— no. no buts. who the fuck does he think he is, possibly asking hinata to stay with him for god knows how long? until he fell asleep, like a child? he sure was acting like one. naruto shook his head, "ah... no- sorry, i... i'm sorry—"

"naruto-kun..." hinata stopped him before he could take anything back. if he went about it the wrong way, his words could turn offensive. naruto thanked hinata for that one, mentally. but blinked in shock when she told him, "i don't want to be alone tonight, either."

and the urge to kiss her was stronger than before. she wanted to stay… with him


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> naruto's missing hinata, is all <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg end me this isn't beta'd or even proof read im soso sorry oml i still hope you enjoy, though!

he woke up smiling. 

that wasn't something he did often. he stopped it way back in his genin days when things became more stressful with sasuke. he felt more determined and stressed rather than excited and happy for days. and then it switched and naruto felt nothing in particular as he was met with the morning glow of sunbeams. but that morning, he grinned as soon as he opened his eyes. he was so warm. met with the stunning sight of hinata hyuuga in a peaceful sleep that morning. he knew as soon as she woke up, she would no doubt, jump back, pull her arm away from naruto's broad shoulder and flush at the face as she stammered and tried to explain how she had places to be and things to do. so naruto enjoyed her touch for the moment, closing his eyes and bathing in the warmth, recalling the events from last night. 

she'd fallen asleep on his couch and he realized how painful it would be for her to wake up from it. an aching back, stiff neck, and tense shoulders. not to mention how rude of him it would be to not take her to the bed. and so that's what he did; deciding he would sleep on the couch. he stepped away from her only to be pulled back. he was positive hinata was hazy with sleep and wasn't fully aware of her words when she told him to "please stay" because he was "warm" but truthfully, it didn't matter to naruto. 

the words were still said. at that moment, he was wanted. hinata wanted him close to her— she wanted him because he provided comfort, it seemed. and fuck, the feeling was fantastic. he wanted to shift closer to hinata, press against her body— for comfort. to feel soft and warm and safe with her, the same feeling he felt whenever he kissed her. there was just something so attractive and magnetic about hinata. he felt like he wanted to be near her, he felt the need for her gentle voice to fill his ears, to feel her touch, her lips against his, her soft strands through his fingers. what was this feeling? and how did he stop it?

he felt like it was weird to suddenly feel the need to run his fingers through hinata's dark hair which spilled over her shoulders. to brush a thumb over her pale cheek, and touch his skin to hers just for a gentle moment. he was shaking and couldn't keep his eyes closed when she was right there. breathing steady and soft and so peaceful. if he brushed back her hair, it could wake her, so he just forced himself to pull away by rolling out of the bed. he couldn't bask in the comfort of being so close to her, clearly since he apparently was some obsessed psychopath with the urge to treat her like a precious antique. well, maybe hinata was precious. did everyone feel this way about hinata? they had to have. she was so amazing to be around. he would have to ask someone what that was about later that day, because how come he was so late to the party? had it always been this way?

naruto shook his head, running his fingers through his spikes as he walked around his room, brushing his teeth and pulling out his clothes for the day; the new outfit hinata picked out for him. he paused every once in a while as he got ready when hinata's breathing stuttered and got a little too heavy. but by the time she did wake up, he was set for the day and started on breakfast. she had poked her head into the kitchen curiously, a faint blush dusting her cheeks as she observed the scene before her; naruto pushing scrambled eggs onto the plate and chewing on some burnt bacon as he did. he glanced up and smiled charmingly, gesturing to the plates, "breakfast, if you're up for it?" he was shocked she wasn’t rushing out of his front door, already. 

hinata slowly stepped forward, brushing her hair back and nervously gazing down, "i'm surprised it isn't ramen," she joked quietly, seating herself at the table. 

naruto let a chuckle fall from his lips as he placed a finished plate in front of her, "didn't feel right to present my guest ramen first thing in the morning. besides, you make me wanna switch things up, ya know? try new things. have eggs for breakfast," he joked, sitting across from her. 

hinata beamed and once again, warmth spread through naruto's chest as he leaned his chin in the palm of his hand, gazing at hinata. she bit a piece of bacon, made a weird face which made naruto laugh, then continued eating it. naruto shook his head and sat up, "you don't have to pretend you like it. i know i'm not the best cook, its okay."

hinata shook her head. "i think it's delicious," she smiled, staring down at the clumpy eggs.

naruto raised a brow and laughed before shaking his head, reaching to take the plate away, “no, seriously hinata, you don’t have to lie-”

“naruto-kun, really,” she stopped him, gently grabbing his wrist, pursing her lips and ducking her head shyly. “it’s salty, but otherwise… i love it. it’s really good… thank you for making it.”

naruto blinked and cleared his throat. he ignored the compliment and gratitude all together, beginning to clean up the cooking space, “so… any plans for today?” he turned on the water and glanced over his shoulder at the female hyuuga who seemed to be frowning. was she sad? angry? he wasn’t all too good at deciphering emotions, so he just left it and waited for hinata’s reply, which eventually came as a quiet hum, making him raise his brow. 

“i have a meeting with my… father later on,” she said quietly. 

“what for?” naruto asked as he turned off the water, drying off his hands and facing her again. he watched as her shoulders visibly tensed and expression fell; her lips went tight and there was a hard crease between her brows. she didnt want to talk about it. naruto cleared his throat and waved his hand, “ah, whatever. i hope it goes well. i guess i’ll just go see if kakashi has anything for me. maybe work on something new.”

hinata’s expression lifted, putting naruto at ease. she offered a soft smile, eating the last of her breakfast, “good luck, naruto-kun… have fun,” naruto did say anything, watching her for a few seconds, like he was in a trance. he couldn’t pull his eyes away from her. she just woke up and she was so beautiful, especially in the morning sunbeams. her face glowed and her eyes looked like jewels. her hair looked so long and soft, he just wanted to spend a lifetime running his fingers through her silky strands. and the way she went about everything was so gentle and kind and loving… including the way she acted towards him. unlike the way, anyone else had ever treated him in his life. she seemed genuinely happy and interested in the things he had to say… but that was just hinata as a person. she was incredibly kind and selfless. within a few moments, hinata was getting up from the table and naruto pulled his eyes away, shifting his gaze to the ceiling, pretending like he was thinking. 

“you can leave it in the sink, hinata,” naruto told her, smiling softly as he met her eyes. “i’m in here for another few hours, you should get going… because your family may be worried- not beacause i want you to go… if it were up to me…” he trailed at hinata’s expression; eyes wide, almost hopeful and expecting. he said, “i’d tell you to stay.”

hinata dropped the plate in the sink and pressed her palms to her cheeks, quickly ducking her head and rushing the other way as she said, “thank you, naruto-kun- you’re right, i should get going, have a good morning!” naruto quickly followed her to the door, watching as he swung it open, not bothering to close it, and rushed out into the village. "hinata?" he called, stepping out front, watching as she only sped up, somehow politely pushing past people? "hinata!" though, she was suddenly gone from his view. his shoulders slumped. that was so sudden. she had left with a squeak and naruto could barely even process what just happened. he wondered if maybe the words he said had suggested something she was uncomfortable with. or maybe he was giving her a weird look that she took the wrong way. he never was good at talking to her, and it felt like a repeat of when they were younger. her face would always go red and she would either faint or run away. naruto shook his head, willing away those thoughts as he turned back inside his home. it would most likely be just him for the rest of the day, and he doubted there were any good missions to keep him from his boredom or his mind off of hinata— something he should really work on. naruto was just about to shut his door when the sound of heavy steps travelled up the stairs and his name was called. the blond jumped as he turned to see sakura rushing up the stairs. he didn’t get to say anything before he was unexpectedly shoved back, into his home and the door was slammed with sakura in his face, “what did you do?”

naruto frowned at the sudden accusation, his heart racing with quick adrenaline from the speed of her actions. raising his hands in surrender, he tried clearing the situation up— whatever the situation even was. he never actually knew with sakura, if he was being completely honest. “uh... no offense, sakura-chan, but the hell are you talkin’ about?”

“don’t be stupid, naruto!” sakura jabbed a finger at his chest and backed him up against a wall, “hinata just ran out of here like she was upset! what happened? did she stay over? and what did you guys do- i swear to god, naruto if you somehow took advantage of her-!”

really? how did she even make it to his place that fast? despite how scary sakura was with her abnormal super strength and violent behavior, he was incredibly gutted by the fact the medi-nin even thought that naruto would ever do something so disgusting. he shook his head with a hard expression.

“sakura-chan, really?!” naruto stepped forward, forcing sakura to step back. the blond shinobi drew his brows, “i would never! nothing happened. she stayed for the night since she was tired, and i made her breakfast when she woke up. i told her she should get going since her family would start to worry, but if i could have my way, i’d have her stay, and she got all weird after that." his anger disappeared, expression fallinf as he continued, "i’m not sure what happened, but clearly, that made her upset, i dunno. maybe that was a weird thing to say,” naruto briefly explained the situation, finding himself wanting to sulk as he actually spoke it out loud, realizing it didnt really make sense why she left. he shrugged, dragging himself back into the kitchen, “want some breakfast?”

might as well accept her company, right? being alone was... lonely, as one would think. 

sakura followed him into the kitchen with a skeptical hum, most likely still suspicious about the situation with hinata. “don’t tell me it’s ramen?”

“eggs and bacon,” naruto placed a plate on the table as sakura hesitantly sat down. he placed his palms on the surface of the table, staring at the pink-haired female with hard, crystal eyes. “hinata said it was good, but i think she was lying to make me feel better.”

sakura smiled, and gave him a look while he raised his brows, moving his head, basically telling her to see for herself. sakura sighed and took the smallest piece of eggs, naruto wasnt even sure if she'd be able to taste the spices he included, but the pink haired female shrugged, pulling her lips in an expression that could be labeled as somewhat satisfaction. “they’re not bad. kinda heavy with the salt,” she let out a small laugh when naruto nodded with a shrug, “anyways, what’s this about you wanting hinata to stay and her running out? sit down, talk to me- i’m interested.”

figures.

naruto sighed, but did as told, knowing he didn’t have a choice. he knew sakura wouldn’t let him get away without him giving her every piece of information having to do with his interactions with the female hyuuga. she always seemed so interested whenever he was talking about hinata and that was something he could never figure out, so he just went with it. he leaned forward, letting the side of his face fall in the palm of his large hand.

“so last night, she stayed behind when everyone left and asked me if i wanted to have ramen. and i said yes, duh because ramen is all i was asking for yesterday,” he said pointedly at sakura who chuckled and rolled her eyes, “we talked for a while and… i guess… she just got really tired. so i said she could stay the night since i didn’t want her walking back to her home all out of it and stuff,”

he was obviously leaving out the details. some things should just stay between certain people. naruto didn't consider himself someone who allowed themself to be vulnerable a lot... but he kind of couldn't help it with hinata. hinata wouldn't judge him. hinata wouldn't look at him any different than she did before. in her eyes, he was somehow amazing. if he was anything less than strong with people around the village... he felt like he would be seen as weak— and naruto uzumaki could not be weak.

“you could’ve walked her home,” a weird smirk pulled at sakura’s lips as she raised one of her pink brows and naruto shook his head. 

“well, i was really tired, too. so she just stayed over. and i woke up earlier than her, so i decided to make her breakfast. she comes from… well, you know her family, so i wasn’t gonna give her ramen for breakfast. after she was done, i realized that her family must’ve been worried since she didn’t show up last night and i didn’t want them to worry any longer. so... i told her she should get going. but i didn’t want her to think i was kicking her out or that i wanted her to leave… because i didn’t. so i said that… and she rushed out.”

sakura nodded like everything made sense as she pieced together a puzzle, “oh, i see… no, you didn’t make her upset, don’t worry…” naruto frowned at the way she came up with her conclusion, but didn’t comment on it. he could usually trust sakura’s judgment. “say, naruto, where did you and hinata sleep when she stayed over? i hope you didn’t force her to sleep on the couch?”

naruto rolled his eyes and dropped his arm on the table, “what’s up with you thinking i would ever treat hinata like shit, sakura-chan? she slept in my bed. and before you ask, i… was there, too, but only because she said i…” naruto stopped. he kind of wanted to keep that a secret for some reason. “she said it would've been unfair. and she wasn’t gonna let me get away with me sleeping on the couch, ya know? so i just went with it.”

“oh my god, naruto,” sakura laughed as she shook her head, covering her face with her hand. naruto stopped asking questions about sakura a while ago; she was pretty strange and probably wouldn’t tell him what was so funny, anyway. he just took her empty plate and placed it in the sink with a sigh. 

“shouldn’t you be at the hospital, sakura-chan?” he asked, turning one the faucet for the third time that single morning. “i doubt you have time to stay here any longer with your busy schedule,” for some reason, he wasn’t too set on having sakura stay with him. her company was great, all company provided by his friends was great… hinata’s just felt amazing. different. 

sakura groaned as she stood up, pushing in the chair, “yeah, you’re right. i wish i had more free days so we could hang out more. yesterday was so, so fun. let’s try again some time!”

naruto nodded and turned off the water, “yeah, it was great. it’s just, with everyone so busy…”

sakura smiled, walking closer to naruto and placing a hand on his shoulder, “you should try getting a life. you could try, like, anything in the village, naruto. we all know you’re the next hokage, try doing something other than missions to fill the time in between.”

naruto shrugged, “you’re right. maybe i’ll look into becoming a sensei for a squad. but genin kids are annoying. remember how we were,” the blond snickered as he recalled his rather embarrassing memories. 

“oh god, don’t remind me!” sakura laughed, making her way to the door, naruto trailing behind her. “but imagine having konoha’s hero and war hero as your sensei? that would be a very lucky team.”

“you think so?” naruto questioned as sakura stepped outside and started down the stairs, nodding her head. he laughed, “see you, sakura-chan!”

the blond shook his head as he turned back to his now empty home, stretching his arms above his head. though paused when he kicked something to the side. he looked down and his eyes widened; hinata’s shoes. did she leave them? and ran outside barefoot? with a sudden thought, naruto rushed to his room, swinging his door open and looking around to see the female hyuuga left her jacket, as well. and oddly enough, a smile formed on his face. he couldn’t help but think, that she had a reason to be back. 

later on that day, naruto was knocking on the door to the hokage’s office, not waiting for an answer before he stepped inside. he knew it was rude and he wasn’t supposed to do it at all, but what was kakashi gonna do? get mad? naruto frowned at that thought; he’d never seen kakashi mad. like, genuinely mad. how strange, really. “ah, of course. naruto.” kakashi said with a smile underneath his mask. see what he means? if that was granny tsunade…

“aye, kakashi-sensei,” naruto yawned, lifting his hands to the back of his head with a smile. “sorry for not being up to date and so behind, but nobody’s graduated from the academy yet, right? when’s that supposed to happen, anyway?” he stood in front of the large desk, placing a hand on his hip. 

kakashi placed his folded fingers under his chin, “not yet. what’s this about? don’t tell me you want a team?” he joked, leaning back in his chair. 

naruto laughed, “believe it, kakashi-sensei. “i don’t know if the good missions are slowing down, or what, but i’m bored!”

kakashi leaned back over his desk, flipping through the stack of papers on his desk, “naruto, the missions aren’t slowing down. you sped up over the years. don’t get a big head, but with your amount of experience and level of power… of course, you’d consider half of these to be mediocre. and there aren’t any emergencies, dare i say it’s peaceful at the moment.”

naruto shrugged, “well, that’s not a bad thing. but that just means i need some snotty little kids to lead, now. teach em my skills, ya know?”

“i don’t trust the way that sounds,” kakashi chuckled. 

“hey, i took konohamaru under my wing, and he’s amazing!” naruto leaned back once again, “it’ll be fine, kakashi-sensei, trust me. i can teach.”

kakashi laughed, “alright, i’ll set that up for you. you’ll know your squad a few days after graduation of the academy. do your best, naruto. i expect greatness.”

naruto grinned widely, “of course. nothing less.” 

“well, if that’s all, i’ll have to ask you to leave. i need to focus on all the paperwork that just came in,” kakashi pulled a stack over and clicked a pen. it seemed like he was finally getting into his role as the hokage. naruto chuckled at how in the beginning, he would leave the office for ramen when new work was presented to him. though, he still hated to be referred to as ‘lord sixth’ which was stupid, in naruto’s opinion. it was such a cool title. kakashi glanced up with a sudden thought, “oh, and stay safe tonight. there’s a bad storm of some sort coming this evening. stay indoors.”

naruto turned on his heel with a hum, “you, too. see ya!”

naruto yawned as he stepped out of the building, immediately and unexpectedly being greeted by konohamaru’s voice, “naruto nii-chan!” the younger boy called, blue cape flying behind him as he ran over to the blond shinobi, waving his hand. naruto hummed in acknowledgment, a smile making it’s way onto his face as konohamaru spoke, “hey, let’s go get some ramen! iruka-sensei told us about the storm that’s coming, so i went looking for you to hang out before my mom trapped me inside!” 

naruto was just a little surprised the boy hadn’t greeted him with a typical “sexy jutsu” contest, but konohamaru seemed to be bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement, fingers twitching and eyes wide, like he had an itch or something. he most likely had something on his mind that he wanted to spill, judging by his quick and frantic behaviour. naruto shrugged and pointed to himself as he fell in step with konohamaru, “speaking just my language,” he cheered, shoving his hands into his pocket and leaning back just a little. “what’s been going on? wanna tell me about a cool new jutsu you’ve been working on?”

konohamaru turned and smiled up at the tall blond, shaking his head, “not this time, hey. it’s something better!”

naruto raised his brows. what could be better than coming up with an awesome jutsu? there weren’t many things. naruto poked out his lips as he went through the mental list in his head with a hum. becoming hokage would be at the top of his list. and then it would be new jutsu, and then ramen… no- ramen before… no… jutsu and ramen were at the same level. what else would be more awesome than those two? hinata…? yeah, hanging out with hinata was pretty awesome… better than learning a new jutsu? naruto drew his brows for a moment. somehow, it was. maybe that was just because he’s already learned some pretty cool ones, so there’s no need for much else, right?

right?

“naruto nii-chan, where are you going?” konohamaru was tugging him in the opposite direction of where he was headed down the village, and he was suddenly seated at ichiraku’s, teuchi turning to the pair with his regular, jolly smile as he stated he already knew what the two would be ordering, seeing as how the both of them were there practically every day. naruto cleared his throat and shifted in his seat before turning to his small friend with a nod. konohamaru took in a breath and smiled widely, placing his palms on the surface of the counter they seated at before breathing out, “a girl confessed to me!”

naruto blinked, jerking back in shock, “wait- huh?”

“a girl from another team! she confessed to me! she’s really pretty, naruto nii-chan. i’m gonna accept it cause i like her, too. isn’t that great? haha, i never expected it! she was so nervous, and i thought i had something in my hair, instead, she gave me a note. and when i read over it, she was gone! and i guess she was just nervous. but it was so cool!”

with wide eyes, naruto cleared his throat, thanking teuchi when a bowl of ramen was placed in front of him and konohamaru. “wow, that’s so cool, konohamaru! girls are finally starting to notice how awesome you are. it’s ‘cause of the rasengan that i taught you, ya know. now they’re all lining up at your door,” naruto laughed, loudly slurping his noodles and the younger boy shook his head. 

“no way, naruto nii-chan! this is all me. say, i’ve technically got a girlfriend before you do now, hey? but you get tons and tons and tons of confessions, don’t you? i see you receive gifts all the time, but do any of them say they have feelings for you?”

naruto wanted to roll his eyes at those words. he settled for a heavy sigh, “yeah. tons and tons and tons.” they were beginning to be too much for him. he did honestly appreciate all of the love and support and appreciation he received from those who admired him, but the love confessions? he didn’t even know half the girls who gave them to him. 

“you don’t accept any?”

naruto shook his head, “nope.”

“hmm... you don’t like anyone, then?”

“n...” naruto cut himself off. why did he… actually, no. he cut off his thought like he wasn’t allowing himself to think of... the blond slowly shook his head, “ah... no. i guess not.” what does that feel like, anyway? to ‘like’ a person? he wasn’t about to ask konohamaru for love advice, but maybe someone else knew… perhaps, he would have to let sakura in on his situation with hinata. though the medi-nin would no doubt make a big deal out of it, he needed to figure it out.

“that’s too bad,” konohamaru continued to eat his food. “hopefully you find someone you like. you should tell me as soon as you do, hey! i wanna be the first one to know!”

naruto smiled with a nod, “believe it, konohamaru.”

“you boys should finish up!” teuchi turned to them as he was putting things at the stand back into place, distractedly. “there’s a big storm tonight. lord sixth is recommending everyone stay inside to ensure safety, and natural disasters are the one thing we cant fight with our powers,” he smiled at the pair kindly. 

naruto nodded in understanding and happily sighed, hopping from the stool with konohamaru, “well, i’m finished! thanks for the meal, as always! delicious!” konohamaru hummed in agreement and turned the other way with naruto. 

the boy lifted a hand with a small groan, small, wet drops tapping on his hand in a drizzle. “it’s already starting to rain, naruto nii-chan. better hurry home, then… guess i’ll see you later!” he began to speed ahead, most likely afraid of getting shouted at by his mother. 

naruto smiled with a quiet laugh, “see ya! stay safe, and good luck with that girl!” konohamaru gave him a thumbs-up as he continued speeding. naruto turned the opposite direction, stuffing his hands in his pockets so they didn’t get wet by the rain, becoming heavier with each drop that hit the ground. he ducked his head and carried his legs into a light jog, hoping for the best, which didn’t do much, considering when he finally arrived at his place, his clothes stuck to him with the wet smell of rain.

naruto sighed as he irritatedly walked into his quiet, empty home. he quickly kicked off his wet shoes, grimacing at the disgusting, uncomfortable feeling of damp socks sticking to his feet. he tore off his jacket and shirt, hanging them up in the bathroom before running his fingers through his blond wet locks which stuck to his forehead. he knew he should probably take a shower, but he’d do that in the morning. for the time being, all naruto wanted to do was change into warm, comfortable clothes and pity himself as he wondered what hinata was doing, like a pathetic loser. 

and he did exactly that. dressed in a black long sleeve and sweatpants, he stared into the microwave, the yellow light quite interesting in that moment and the low buzzing being the only sound in his home. what would it be like to spend a stormy evening with a family? with his parents? he wondered if they would’ve ever put on movies and made popcorn for such times. spend the night playing board games- or cards as they opened the curtains to watch the rain. maybe just sit down and talk. laugh. be together. what would it be like to… be with someone? especially on an evening like this. to be with hinata?

naruto’s brows drew when the beeping of the microwave rung in his ear. he jumped up, shaking away his thoughts and reached for his mug, though quickly pulled his hand back when he realized how hot the glass was. how long did he put it on for, anyway? the shinobi grumbled as he searched around for a rag of some sort, then went back to his waiting cup of chocolate- only to pull his hand away again at the sound of knocks at his front door. really?

wasn’t everyone supposed to stay inside? he tossed his rag to the side and found his cheeks heating up once he finally realized whose chakra it was. naruto quickly made his way to the door, though brushed his blond spikes down to look casual, before swinging open his door, his blue eyes met with those of lavender. he let out a breath at the girl who stood in the heavy, pouring rain and grabbed her arm to yank her inside, “jesus- hinata!” naruto slammed the door shut and without a second thought, went searching for a towel. 

“naruto-kun, i don’t mean to bother you-” her voice was shaky with her shivering and teeth clattering.

“ssh, don’t worry about it,” naruto mumbled distractedly, rushing over to the female hyuuga and wrapping her in a large towel. “c’mon, we need to find you something to put on before you get sick,”

“naruto-kun, i-i don’t plan on staying. i don’t want to burden you, i wanted to ask if you had a spare umbrella?” she played with her fingers as naruto sat her on his bed, moving around the room and searching for something. she looked over at him curiously, wondering if he was listening to her, “naruto-kun…?” 

“sorry, hinata, but you can’t leave,” naruto sighed, standing up with the jacket she left last time and some of his old sweatpants. “didn’t you hear about the storm? kakashi-sensei told everyone to stay indoors. you can’t go back out there- the umbrella will probably break,”

the byakugan princess threw her face in her hands. “im sorry,” her soft voice was muffled, “i didn’t mean to stop by and ruin your evening,”

naruto raised his brows in confusion. ruin his evening? did she not know how much naruto liked having her around? he thought he’d been pretty clear about it, but... maybe not. but how much more clear could he be? he wasn’t good at this kind of stuff.

naruto crouched down to where hinata was sitting and placed a large hand on her knee. he pulled her hands away with his free hand and gave her a warm, gentle smile, his eyes bright and genuine, “you could never ruin anything, hinata.” he said, taking a hand in his and smoothing his thumb over her thin fingers, “honestly, you just made my night a whole lot better.”

hinata’s eyes widened as she leaned forward, worried about what she thought was an overstatement, again, “really?” her long, dark hair was stringy as it spilled over her shoulder, brushing against naruto’s arm. she was so close. she smelled like rain and her hand was freezing, but she still, somehow gave so much warmth to naruto. and he didn’t know how much he’d been missing the feeling until it was given to him again. 

he stared directly into her eyes, scanning over her face; god, she was so beautiful, it had his heart racing, his breath shaky as he sighed, “believe it.” naruto pulled away from her and stood up, attempting to calm himself. his heart was still hammering in his chest, and it only got worse when hinata smiled at his reassurance. he flashed her a brilliant smile in return. “you get changed and i’ll get you some hot chocolate, sound like a plan?”

hinata quickly nodded and naruto turned away before he spent another fifteen minutes admiring her. that would weird her out, for sure. he closed his eyes for a moment and put a hand to his chest and released a gentle breath. one... two... three... he no longer heard the beating of his heart in his ears. with a quick nod to himself, he was on his way to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so uh, things are gonna get a little steamy in the next chapter haha, i hope you're excited, and i hope you enjoyed!! please tell me what you think! i love constructive criticism!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> naruto and hinata spend time together during the storm <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello!! i apologize for the long wait, but i'm working on being consistent again!! your comments reeealllly help me get motivated to write so thank you sm!! this isn't beta'd like at all ahahahaha we die like men- anyways pls enjoy!! <3

"careful, it's hot," naruto warned as he offered hinata a cup of hot chocolate. the female hyuuga muttered a quiet "thank you" and naruto turned back around to clean up his mess, wiping his hands on the counter to get rid of the cocoa powder. he laughed, "i'm not very good at making this stuff, so if it's still watery... just add sugar. that should work."

hinata laughed, shaking her head a little as she leaned back against the counter, turning her to look out the far window across the room, "it's really good, don't worry."

"i'm sure you're lying but, i'll go with it, anyway." naruto also leaned back on his counter, folding his arms over his chest and smiling a little. 

"how long do you think the storm will last?" hinata asked quietly. 

naruto rolled a shoulder carelessly, "dunno, but everyone was warning me about it, so it must be pretty bad... probably a while, sorry... i hope you don't mind staying here..."

hinata quickly stood up, placing down her mug and shaking her head, "no, that's not what— i- i don't mind! i was just... i don't want to be in your way—"

naruto frowned and waved his hands to stop the girl mid sentence, "no hinata... you're not— never in my way, i promise, i promise… i really like having you around, ya know? and you're welcomed here anytime. storm or no storm. you're... nice."

hinata seemed to calm down at naruto's words and smiled, "thank you, naruto-kun... you're so kind."

"really? me?" naruto shook his head, stepping forward. "hinata, you're the kindest person i know! you're so nice and sweet to everyone, no matter what. even to me for some reason,"

"what do you mean even you?" hinata drew her brows together, "you're an amazing person, naruto-kun, why wouldn't i be kind?"

naruto rubbed the back of his neck, "it's just... not many people treated me kind for a while. but i can't think of a time where you treated me like a monster. you were never scared or never whispered about me and you always encouraged me, despite what anyone else had to say, for some reason. it's just so weird how different you treat me from everyone else. but in a good way, ya know? kind of like i’m the best, if that makes sense."

"you deserve to be treated like the best..." 

her voice was so quiet and she nervously tucked her hair behind her ear as she stared at the floor. naruto breathed out a soft laugh at her behaviour. she was such a gentle, delicate person- that was the only way naruto could describe her. incredibly soft and seemingly fragile. it was cute. "...i'm really glad you're here. i always am. and... i also didn't want to be alone tonight. having you around gives me comfort that i cant find in anyone else, i think…” 

hinata’s head shot up, her lavender eyes wide and cheeks painted pink. she looked like she was at a loss for words. naruto didn’t mind, though. he only laughed and walked past her to get a better look at the rain. the blond shinobi jut out his bottom lip and squinted his eyes, turning to hinata who held the mug of hot chocolate close to her lips. he hummed and asked, “hinata? what do people usually do on rainy days?”

hinata tilted her head, curiously, “hm?”

“i mean, i’ve always thought it was something like cards or popcorn and telling stories.. watching the rain and stuff like that?”

hinata curled her lips into a warm smile and set down her coffee mugs, “mhm, it’s like that. sometimes playing in the rain and going back inside to drink something warm… looks like we’re already doing that…”

“ha, yeah…how about… i teach you how to make special ramen?” 

hinata squinted curiously as she set down her mug, “special ramen?”

naruto offered a large grin already pulling out the supplies and ingredients, “ramen’s always good for rainy days because it’s warm and soup and, like- it’s always a good time for ramen anyway, ya know?” he looked up at hinata with a smile, “it’ll pass time?”

hinata slowly walked over, “your special ramen… is ramen with garlic salt and basil?”

naruto nodded, proudly poking out his chest like he'd accomplished something great, “yup! my secret ingredients, you know why? it’s ‘cause they both enhance the flavour and make it so the ramen taste is even stronger. a little salty if there’s too much garlic salt, but delicious!”

hinata brought her fingers to her lips with a quiet laugh, “naruto-kun… could i teach you how to make something, instead? do you know how to cook anything beside ramen?” 

naruto took note of how genuinely curious hinata sounded as she pulled things from his fridge; things sakura often stopped by with for him since he refused to by any food other than ramen. she was the only reason he had breakfast food, actually. and if she had said the words hinata just spoke, it would’ve been exasperated or irritated, even if it was just slightly. hinata simply wondered, her expression warm and inviting. 

so warm naruto felt no shame when he shook his head, “nope!” he laughed, tugging at his blond spikes, “i never learned how to cook and ramen had easy instructions. it’s the best, too!”

hinata smiled, unwrapping some vegetables, “i’ll teach you how to make chicken and roasted vegetables,” she went to his freezer and took out a bag of frozen roasted chicken. “do you want to learn?”

naruto shook his head and rubbed his neck with a wobbly grin, “i’m not too sure about this, hinata,” he walked over to where she had the ingredients in front of her and bit his bottom lip. “i mean, ramen is kinda all i need, y’know? it’s good this way, why change it?”

“naruto, only eating ramen isn’t very healthy for your diet,” hinata offered a kind smile. “you don’t want to try anything new? it’ll be fun and we’ll pass the time…’

“..well, when you put it like that…” he sighed, lowering his head as he gave in. “okay, what do we do first, then?”

“wash your hands, then we’ll get started on cutting the vegetables and seasoning them in sauce to make it taste good, okay?

“if you say so…” 

naruto did as told, joining hinata once he was done to help her cut up the vegetables. he took a glance at her section of greens and carrots and looked at the vegetables in front of him with drawn brows. “just cut them into small pieces, naruto-kun. okay?” hinata smiled. 

naruto looked at the way she was cutting, blue eyes going wide, “hinata! you’re going so fast!”

hinata laughed, “start slow or you’ll cut yourself,”

with a nod, naruto once again, did as he as told and began slowly cutting the vegetables into small pieces with hard concentration. it was so easy to listen to hinata. naruto typically hated being told what to do. he hated when sakura or sasuke ordered him around and acted like they knew more than him- even if they actually did. he hated how kiba always told him to ‘sit back and watch how it’s done.’ hell, he even disliked being told what to do by all hokages in his lifetime. but with hinata’s sweet voice and gentle smile, she was pretty much perfect. she was simply telling naruto how to do something, like he was perfectly capable of doing it, like she wasn’t worried about him messing up, even though he probably would. like she trusted him. 

or maybe he was just looking into to it too much. 

hinata ended up making sauce the vegetables would saturate in- she also had to preheat the oven since naruto got distracted when she told him to do it, but she was allowing him to coat the vegetables in the sauce while the chicken was cooking in the oven. naruto grinned when he saw the reddish sauce hinata threw together over the vegetables ( which he helped cut ) and smiled proudly when he done, turning to hinata with a hopeful expression. 

“good job, naruto-kun,” hinata smiled, lifting her thumbs. “we’ll put this in and in an hour or so, we’ll have a delicious dinner. you can decide if it’s better than having ramen every single night.”

“i’ve already decided; it isn’t.”

‘but-”

“but that’s only because nothing can beat ramen and nothing can stop it from being good every single night! it’s an unfair competition anyway since ramen is so good. anyways, i’m sure this will be close! since it was made by you and all, y’know?”

“you helped, too, naruto-kun,” hinata beamed, throwing away the bags and plastics and putting things into the sink. “please don’t forget to give yourself credit when you’re eating it and you think it’s delicious,”

“...you’re really nice, hinata. but i kind of just cut vegetables and covered them in a sauce that you made, so i’m not… really sure…” he laughed, helping the female hyuuga clean up the area. his eyes widened with excitement as he thought of eating dinner with hinata for the second night in a row. with a glance out the window at the far side of his room, he smiled and quickly turned around, “hina-!”

naruto heard a loud gasp after the sound of a light smack, eyes widening for probably the hundredth time that night when he realized hinata was holding her hands to her right cheek, lavender eyes filled with shock and mouth parted. she released a breath which sounded somewhere in between a laugh and a take-in of air. “n-naruto-kun!” 

naruto brought his hands to his mouth and let out a quiet laugh of his own, “h-hina-hinata-!? did- did i- oh my god, hinata, i’m so sorry!”

hinata bowed her head, her shoulders shaking softly. oh god… did he really just make hinata hyuuga cry? after a few blinks to wash away his own shock he reach forward to grab onto her shuddering shoulders and gently shake her, “hinata? please, i’m so sorry, i didn’t mean to…”

hinata lifted her head and naruto was surprised to see her smile was bright and wide and the sounds coming from her parted lips was laughter, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. “n-naruto-kun you’re so funny,” she laughed, setting a hand on the countertop beside them. “it didn’t hurt at all, it was funny- you have.. a lot of energy,” she was so beautiful when she was laughing. incredibly cute, she seemed genuinely happy in that moment, naruto had to shake his head to wake up from the trance her laugh had sent him into.

“are you sure your face doesn’t hurt?”

hinata nodded reassuringly, “no, it’s okay. please, naruto-kun, i promise,” she tried reassuring him, knowing what was taking place in his mind already when she met his hard, determined blue narrowed eyes. “naruto-kun-” 

and then naruto was right in front of her and she was staring up with her glossy lavender eyes, still wet from her tears of laughter, “just gotta make sure you don’t need any ice, y’know?”

hinata immediately nodded with a hum, tilting her chin up as naruto drew closer with a small smile, watching as hinata’s pearly eyes lit up with his expression. she was so perfect. genuine and honest and so true and raw. she was amazing, honestly.

suddenly, naruto carefully took her face in his hands and leaned down to press his lips to hers. that feeling was immediately in his chest again. in his stomach, his face, his arms were tingling and fingers were burning. hinata inched closer to him, like she had been patiently waiting to be impatient with his lips against hers, fingers curling around the bottom of his shirt to pull him closer as she tilted her further head, lips melting against his, sending naruto's heart pounding quickly in chest.

he didn't remember hinata ever being so bold, and somehow it made him want more, knowing how much she wanted him. something was exploding in his chest, like a wave of relief flooded over him when he was kissing hinata. like something was right, completed, like the pieces of a puzzle.

naruto moved one hand to her head, running his fingers through her midnight hair easily; something he'd been longing to do since he'd done it the last time, and used the other to push her back against the counter by her waist. hinata pressed forward and with the thin jacket she's wearing, there was nothing keeping her chest from his and he could feel her breasts. they were so... soft. should he pull away? was that weird? creepy? 

hinata lifted her hands,her gentle touch running along his chest and his shoulders and he leaned into it, sighing against her lips, feeling his shoulders relax. his cheeks went hot and hands stopped at her waist, where he wanted to lift her shirt, just a little. naruto couldn't help but be curious about how soft her skin would be. how smooth it would feel if he ran his fingers along her creamy waist. he should stop, right? kissing was one thing, but his mind was wandering and he didn't want to make hinata feel uncomfortable or scare her away. he also didn't want to do anything with someone he was unsure about. was he unsure? he didn't know the answer. he was confused. all he knew was that being with hinata felt good. incredibly good.

he avoided what was underneath her shirt and let his hands travel up until they stopped again; her breasts. he began to pull his hands away yet again, when hinata pushed forward, a small, "naruto-kun," fell from her lips and his breath caught in his throat. his head was spinning, heart hammering in his ears. did she want him to? he opened his eyes just a bit and hinata was looking at him, cheeks flushed. he lifted his hand again and hinata pushed closer to him, like she was allowing him- like it was some sort of invitation.

naruto held his breath when he gently caressed one, noticing the quickening of hinata's breathing as she stared right at him and he realized; she was asking for more. her eyes were searching, gaze steady and almost curious — she was asking for his touch and suddenly his body was buzzing with a feeling he couldn't explain or even describe. but it was so good.

his lips were on hers once more and her right breast fit into his hand almost perfectly. his heart stuttered at the way he could feel her sigh when he squeezed and pressed down on the skin, and he moved his lips to her neck, trailing down her smooth skin and taking a patch between his teeth for a gentle bite. the sound that came from hinata's parted lips made him want to hear more— it was so beautiful. he used his other hand to lift her onto the counter and settle between her legs. he buried his face into her neck, nose pressed to her skin; she smelled so good. everything about hinata was good. he could hear himself panting as her breathy gasps filled his ears, the small cries of his name from his simple touch— why was it so good? he almost couldn’t get enough of it, and he found himself wanting more. of what, he didn't know, exactly. just… so much more. and then he shifted; his hips moved forward and he brushed against hinata. the feeling was insane and had him dropping his head in her neck. 

he was hard. not good, abort mission. he should stop. he should pull away before things went too far, definitely. kissing was one thing, but what he just felt... that was something far different. 

he pulled his head from her neck to speak, but his words were forgotten when hinata’s lips were on his again. she wiggled her hips, and that same feeling… her touch was stirring something in his chest, making his heart drum so fast and loud that he could hear it echoing in his ears. hinata gasped when she moved her hips forward again, "na-naruto-kun.."

he should stop— they should stop. they shouldn't do this, right? they weren't together, they were friends. just friends. but— "ah, hinata," naruto couldn't seem to catch his breath as he pulled hinata closer, rocking his hips against hers. it felt so good. his eyes fell shut as he moved his hips again, jaw straining, breath shortening, fingers gripping at anything area if soft flesh he could grasp. he set a flat palm on the surface of the counter and used his other hand to pull hinata closer as he rolled against her, “fuck,” his fingers on her waist tightened.

he could feel the way hinata’s arms squeezed his neck, her own pace quickening, breathing quick as she gasped in his ear, “naruto-kun-!” her voice going straight to his erection. naruto’s brows creased into a hard frown as his mind became foggy with pleasure, moving his hips faster, sounds pushing past his lips carelessly. 

his grip on hinata’s waist was unbelievably tight as he rocked against her. he felt her hips shake and quiver, and she gasped, hands tightening on his shoulder. his name falling from her lips as a shaky cry is what caused his lips to jerk forward, “hina— hinata…!” he gasped against her neck, and in waves, pleasure rushed through him, lips pressed to her sweaty neck, groan drowned out by the pounding in his ear as weakly moved his hips to ride out his high, mind foggy with the afterglow. he slumped against the hyuuga, lips quirking into a small smile for just a second before his eyes snapped open. 

what the actual fuck just happened?

he was still panting and his heart was still hammering against his chest. slower, but hammering nonetheless, when he slightly tilted his head to speak, “hinata?” the hold on his shoulders tightened and the female hyuuga buried her face into his chest. “are you… okay?” 

there was a tension filled moment before a very quiet voice stuttered out a “yes.” as naruto let his shoulders fall in relief. he assumed hinata’s blush was as deep as cherries and figured she might not move, probably feeling like she couldn’t look him in the eyes after what happened. naruto was thankful for that, since he was kind of in the same boat. so without a word, he pulled hinata from the counter, squirming at the sticky wetness in his pants, as she did, and pulled her legs around him, “na-naruto-k-kun!” she gasped quietly, pressing her face to his shoulder with a soft squeal. 

the blond couldn’t help but laugh, but continued to walk down the hall and to the bathroom. he set hinata down on the counter there and slowly pulled away from her, watching as she slapped her hands over her face and turned her head down at her lap. naruto ran his fingers through his spikes “ah, you can take a shower first… and i have some extra clothes for you, if you want? they might be a bit big, but with the storm still going on…”

hinata nodded shyly, “that-that’s…perfect, na-naruto-kun… thank you.”

naruto shook his head, “it’s no problem… uhm… if—uh, i mean i— um… nevermind…uh, t-take your time,” naruto shook his head and quickly left the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. 

his hands immediately slapped over his face with a loud groan and he dragged himself to his bedroom. hinata had to stay the night with that storm still going on, and he really just fucked everything up. there was no way they’d sleep in the same bed, and there was no way he was letting hinata sleep on the couch. he’d have to do it; he didn’t mind, anyway. it was just too awkward to be around hinata with what they just did. out of nowhere. he knew he should’ve pulled back, should’ve never kissed her, never touched her— why did he do that? 

naruto fell back onto his bed, hands still over his face. too bad sakura wasn’t there to help him, he could really use it, as he had no clue what to do next or how to get out of the horrible situation he put himself in. 

just avoid it until it goes away, was his plan. 

he left clothes out for hinata in his room and as soon as she nervously walked out and scurried away, he rushed in to take his shower. he would be sleeping on the couch. naruto hummed in thought, brushing back his wet locks as he remembered he had an extra bed set somewhere in his closet. he could definitely work his away around this. and by the time morning came, hinata will have left. and all he had to do was avoid her for the rest of his life and then everything would be okay, right?

naruto nodded to reassure himself. yeah, yes, definitely, totally, correct. he stepped out of the shower and gave himself a hard look in the mirror. he could totally do this...

naruto's eyes widened as he started back at himself, "shit! the food-!"

everything was going just as he planned. he checked on the food- which was done, but he doubt either of them would be sharing the meal together. hinata was still in his room when he was getting ready for bed, so he was able to knock on the door and tell her he’d be sleeping on the couch for the night. he didn’t need to state why, since he was pretty sure it was obvious to the both of them. and after a few seconds, hinata agreed with heavy hesitation in her voice; she probably knew naruto wouldn’t allow it to be any other way. 

he wasn’t sleeping that night. 

he knew he wouldn’t be getting any from the start but that didn’t make it any less annoying as he tossed and turned in irritation on the uncomfortable couch. it poked at his back and cramped his neck achingly and with a groan, naruto sat up, huffing and messing with his messy blond spikes. he turned his head just in time to see hinata, tiptoeing her way through the halls and into the living room. she paused upon meeting his eyes, as did he. they stared at each other for a few good seconds, unblinkingly, then hinata ducked her head down, heat spreading across her cheeks in a rush. “naruto-kun… i-i’m sorry if i woke you,” she said, barely above a whisper. 

naruto quickly shook his head, shifting slightly to get more comfortable in the way he sat, “don’t worry. i wasn’t even sleeping…” he looked down at his fingers and pressed his lips together with a small frown as he cleared is throat, “uhm… are-are you okay? did you need something?” he looked up in time to see hinata slowly shake her head.

“no... i… couldn’t sleep, either.” she said softly, taking a few small steps closer to the couch. “is the couch uncomfortable? you should really use your bed, naruto-kun… i don’t want to be a burden and take away—”

“no, hinata, no,” naruto shook his head, creases between his brows forming in frustration, “you’re really not a burden, seriously. i told you, i really like having you around. you’re my guest and having you sleep on the couch just wouldn’t be right, okay?”

hinata tucked her hair behind her ear and made a noise at the back of her throat, “na-naruto-kun… we can share the bed… just like the last time…”

naruto once again shook his head, “no. i told you, hinata, i’m fine right here. you should really go back to bed. get some rest—”

“please, naruto-kun.” it’s like hinata wasn’t even asking, anymore. her brows were drawn close together and her fists curled at the bottom of naruto’s sweatpants she wore. “come to bed with me… you can-can’t be uncomfortable in your own house because of me”

naruto finally realized she wouldn’t let up, and would stand there, begging until morning for him to join her. so he just simply stood up with a defeated sigh, smiling a small smile. “fine, you win. let’s go.”

hinata said she couldn’t sleep without him there. that was false. she was still awake even when naruto was there. he took a glance at her from the corner of his eye to see her troubled expression. he swallowed and shifted, still not looking at her, “is everything okay, hinata?” maybe she was thinking about what happened earlier. he squeezed his eyes shut. he just shouldn’t have touched her. “what... are you thinking about?”

hinata made a sound and also shifted with a heavy sigh, “um… i was thinking about the meeting i had with my father earlier… we got into an argument after and i had to get away from his shouting. that’s how i ended up stuck in the rain…”

naruto quickly turned on his side, “oh! jeez, i was wondering what you were still doing outside. is… is that why you were talkin’ all that nonsense about being a burden and getting in my way?” he asked. “your dad’s getting in your head, huh,”

hinata sighed again, “i know i shouldn’t let him get in my head, but… it’s so hard.” she let out a shaky breath, “and with neji gone… i feel like nobody really… no, i’m sorry. i didn’t mean to throw all of my problems at you…”

“you’re okay, hinata,” naruto told her. “if you need to talk, i already told you i’m here to listen, y’know.” he stared at her for a minute before sighing, "come here," he muttered, gently pulling hinata by her waist and wrapping his arms around her. "it'll be okay. maybe just give him some time... everyone's going through a lot right now. he's probably just stressed and can't really think right. let him cool enough for the night, you’ll both be able to clear your heads."

hinata nodded silently into his chest. "yeah... i'll try talking to him again tomorrow."

naruto pulled his head back to look at her, "if things don't go well, you can always come to me, ya know. you don't have to be scared to tell me stuff, hinata. you're a really great friend to me and i don't… want you to be here with things weighing you down or..." naruto shook his head with a small smile, "ah, nevermind. i can't really find the right words but, you get it... right?"

hinata nodded with a small smile, "yes. thank you, naruto-kun... you're always so kind and willing to help others... that's amazing,"

naruto wondered why she kept talking about him being so kind. he didn't necessarily consider himself kind, but if hinata was so persistent on letting him know... he felt like he could believe anything that came out of hinata's mouth. she was so genuine and almost persuasive... "you're the amazing one, hinata." he said quietly. naruto pulled her back to his chest before he went and kissed her again. he’d done that too many times and he was starting to feel like it was a bad thing with awkward tension it often created, despite how much they both seemed to enjoy it. 

he would just stay away from hinata’s lips from then on. that was easy, he could totally do that.

right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos are appreciated!! review-type comments and constructive criticism are literally my lifeline and make me so happy!! so please, please tell me what you think!! tysm for reading! see you next week with a new chapter!! <33

**Author's Note:**

> hey!! if you enjoy my writing and would like me to write something specific for you— a scenario, pairing, etc. consider commissioning here: https://ko-fi.com/softbiscuit i would really appreciate it!! tysm ily <3


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